The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service today published a proposed rule that, if
approved, will guide its national management strategy for double-crested
cormorants. The rule, which would implement the preferred alternative
identified in a draft Environmental
Impact Statement on Double-Crested Cormorant Management released
in 2001, gives 24 State fish and wildlife agencies, Tribes, and the
Agriculture Department greater flexibility to manage double-crested
cormorants to reduce conflicts with human activities such as recreational
fishing and commercial aquaculture. Double-crested cormorants are colonial
waterbirds whose numbers have increased substantially in the past 30
years.

"The new rule will give local authorities a more active role in
double-crested cormorant management," said Steve Williams, director
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Since this bird's population
is increasing and they have been shown to cause local impacts to natural
and economic resources, we believe local management with national oversight
is the best approach to reduce conflicts."

The Service's proposed rule, if approved, would establish a new public
resource depredation order authorizing 24 State fish and wildlife agencies,
Tribes, and Agriculture's Wildlife Services agency to implement a double-crested
cormorant management program, while maintaining Federal oversight of
populations via reporting and monitoring requirements to ensure sustainable
populations. Without this rule, agencies must first receive a Federal
permit in order to control double-crested cormorants.

Under the proposed rule, a previous 1998 aquaculture depredation order
would remain in effect and continue to allow double-crested cormorants
to be taken at commercial freshwater aquaculture facilities and State-owned
fish hatcheries in 13 States (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, and Texas) and would be expanded to authorize winter roost
control by Wildlife Services in those States.

By the time cormorants were given Federal protection in the early 1970's,
their populations had dropped precipitously, largely due to DDT-induced
egg shell thinning and human persecution. Today, the population is at
historic highs, due in large part to the presence of ample food in their
summer and winter ranges, federal and state protection, and reduced
contaminant levels.

Between 1970 and 1991, in the Great Lakes region of the United States
and Canada the number of double-crested cormorant nests increased from
89 to 38,000. By 1997, the Great Lakes population had reached approximately
93,000 pairs and was most recently estimated at 115,000 pairs. The total
North American population of double-crested cormorants is approximately
2 million birds.

The population resurgence of double-crested cormorants has led to increasing
concern about their impact on resources such as fisheries, aquaculture,
vegetation, and colonial waterbirds. The evidence shows that impacts
to these resources are local, but often significant. Studies also show
that cormorants have different effects on recreational fisheries in
different areas since biological and environmental factors differ widely
from site to site.

Following publication of the draft EIS in the fall of 2001, the Service
hosted ten separate meetings at sites across the country to share the
findings of the draft EIS and to seek public comment on the public resource
depredation order alternative. Based on more than 1,000 comment letters,
the strongest public support was for this alternative, followed by the
alternative of regional population reduction. The proposed rule will
have a 60-day public comment period.

Requests for copies of the proposed rule should be mailed to Chief,
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Copies of
the DEIS can also be downloaded from the Division of Migratory Bird
Management web site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/cormorant.html.
For further information, call the division at 703/358-1714 or mail to
Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, mail Stop MBSP-4107, Arlington, Virginia
22203..

Double-crested cormorants are one of approximately 800 species protected
under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and subsequent
amendments. This act was first passed to implement the terms of the
convention between the U.S. and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada)
for the protection of migratory birds. Excessive market hunting of migratory
birds prompted this convention, which was later followed by conventions
with Mexico, Japan, and Russia. Cormorants were first protected through
an amendment to the Mexican convention in 1972. Because cormorants are
not a part of the U.S. and Great Britain convention, they are not protected
by the federal Canadian government, and receive protection there only
at the provincial level.

The Service has funded population surveys, in coordination with states
and the Canadian Wildlife Service, to monitor the species throughout
the Great Lakes basin. The Service has also funded and conducted food
habit studies in order to determine the diet of cormorants at different
locations in the Great Lakes, as well as a range-wide status assessment
of the Great Lakes cormorant population in order to gather the biological
information needed to help develop a management plan.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System which encompasses 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of
small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates
70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological
services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws,
administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations,
restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife
habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds
of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to State fish and wildlife agencies.